Connecting device.



W. H. MCLAUGHUN 8L R. E. BABCOCK.

, CONNECTING DEVICElv APPucATmN FILED 12.116.30.191?.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

A@ "AN FFlQlE.

wrLLrAM n. MCLAUGHLIN, or. Heartical), CoNNECErcUE, ENE RICHARD E. Bassoon, E nniacnorm, VIRGEN-In, assIeNoEs, Er EIEEC'E AND aiEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To CAssIUss. CHASE, CE HART-roar), CoNNEcrrcUm.

CONNECTING DEVICE.

Specicatinf Letters Patent Patented iviai. ee, reis.

Applioaton,ledhiigust, 19.17. Serial No. 189,006.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, VVILLrAM H. Mc- LAUGHLIN and RICHARD E.y BBcoCn, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Hartford, in the county of YHartford and State of Connecticut, and at Barcroft, in the county of Alexandria and vState of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connecting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to connecting devices of the plate type havingtwo or more preferably integral hooks and resides` especially in the means orguard for closing the opening between the free ends. of said hooks against'the egress or ingress of the links of a chain or part or partswof some element or elements, and in provision for locking said means in position.

The invention `hereinafter set forth and described is Jin the forni of a plate intended primarily by applicants` to` besecured to the inner face of, theperiphery of a truck wheel felly for use in" attaching anti-skidding 25 chains, of the fixed` point4 type, thereto.` However, t-he invention may be embodied in a number of other different forms of plates to be fixed in position in various manners. Likewise, while primarily intended for use with anti-skidding devices, as above mentioned, it can be used equally well for a great variety of purposes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a plate with two hooks or projections to receive the links of a chain and a coperating pivoted keeper or guard adapted to be locked `in position between the adjacent ends of said hooks to close the opening between said hooks against the egress or ingress of said chain links to prevent the removal from, or application to, said hooks of a chain link when said keeper or guard is in normal position.

Further objects are to provide a simple construction whereby said keeper or guard may be pivotally mounted on said plate, have pivotal movement in a plane transverse to said hooks and be easily, quickly and securely locked in normal position.

Further objects are to reduce the cost of manufacture, simplify the construction and increase the reliability and durability of such articles, all of which objects are accomplished by the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more particularly set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, in which only the preferred form is shown:

Figure l represents a perspective view of a connecting device embodying our inven tion;

Fig. 2, a crossesectional'view through the plate showing the guard partly in side elevation and partly in section,` the locking screw being shown in side elevation and one of the hooks being indicated in dot-ted lines;`

F ig. 3, a view, Vsiinilar to Fig. l, ofa inediiied form wherein a spring catch or lock is substituted for the locking screw;

.-Fig. 4, a view, similar to Fig. 2, of the modilied form; and f F ig. 5, a detail perspective view of the spring catch of lock used in the modified form.

Referring now in detailA to the drawings B indicates a plate having perforatedV offset flanges D, two in number'and arranged on opposite sides of the respective end portions of said plate, for the 'reception of any suit? able anchoring or securing means, not shown, to hold said plate immovably to some object.

This plate B is provided with two hooks l presented toward and in line with each other and preferably, though not necessarily, integral with said plate. The adjacent or free ends of the hooks l are at an interval from each other, leaving an opening, to allow the ready application and removal of chain links to and from said hooks.

Preferably formed integral with said plate B are two perforated lugs 3 arranged to one side of the hooks l, in which lugs, or

etween which lugs the guard 2 is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 4t passing through the perforation in one of said lugs, through the corresponding perforation in said guard 2 and finally through the perforation in the remaining lug` 3. This guard 2 has a portion 5 which in normal position extends from the face of the plate B flush with the outer faces of the adjacent free ends of the hooks l and is of suilicient thickness to nearly till the interval between the adjacent ends of said hooks, just leaving sufficient room or clearance for its free and unhampered pivotal movement, thus in normal position closing the opening between the adj acent ends of said hooks against the egress or ingress of chain links and preventing the application or removal of chain links to or from either ,of said hooks.

The free end portion of this guardV is iiat- `tened and perforated to receive a thumb Yscrew '6' turning into a screw-tap in said plate B registering with said perforation when the guard 2 1s inl normal position, to lock the latter in such position. Y.

A split spring or locking washer 7, of the usual well known form, slipped over the end of the screw 6 before it is passed through the perforation in guard'2 will act on the opposing faces of the head of screw 6 and plate Bl to prevent said screw 6 from being jarred loose. 'Y

yTo release the guard it is only necessary to unscrew screw 6 until it is free ofthe threads in plate B, when guard 2 may be turned on its pivot to allow free access to the ends ofthe hooks 1.

` In themodiied form shown in Figs. 3, 4: and 5, the screw 6, Washer 7, screw tap in plate Band perforation inguard 2 are disensed with, the side of plate B adjacent the ee end of said guard 2 being provided with a shouldered recess 8, the shoulder 9 formed thereby being engaged by the spring catch or lock 10 which is mounted in the free end of said guard 2. This spring catch or lock 10 has shoulders 11 which engage the under face of said guard 2 while the reduced Copies of this patent may be obtained for V`portion or stem l2 extendsv throughia perforation in said guard V2 and is upset andV riveted Ydown on the upper faceV of `said guard 2 to hold said springcatch or lock 10 securely in'place.

Y TheY head Vor engaging face of this catchV or lock l0 is slightly rounded 'so as toforce the guard 2 securely downin position, riding over the sharp corner of shoulder 9, and

The guard 2 may well be of metal.

Any suitable material may be used for any part. Y Y

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Leti ters Patent is: v

A connecting device consisting of a base'- plate adapted to be rigidly held in position on some relativelyfxed object and provided with two hooks, .the free endsof which are adjacent each other, in'combination with'a guard pivotally mountedon said plate and tween the adjacent free ends of' said hooks to preventthe application or removal of a chain link to or from either of f saidhooks,

and means for locking said guard in such Y position.

VwILitmM H; MGLAUGHLiN] RICHARD nBaBoooK.V

ve cents each, by addressing the @Commissioner'of retentir.

Washington, ID. C.

Y adapted to be turned on its pivot to lie be-A 

